News

Ozone Meeting Discusses Proposals to Include HFCs

9 November 2010: The preparatory segment of the 22nd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP 22) is convening in Bangkok, Thailand, from 8-12 November 2010.

MOP 22 is considering a proposal from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) (UNEP/OzL.Pro.22/6), and another from Canada, the US and Mexico (North America) (UNEP/OzL.Pro.22/5), to amend the Protocol to include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are a common alternative to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). They are being phased down under the Protocol and are also a greenhouse gas (GHG). According to the FSM, parties have a moral and legal responsibility to address HFCs. The US stresses that including HFCs in the Montreal Protocol would build on efforts of the UNFCCC to address climate change and of the ExCom to provide incentives for low-global warming potential alternatives to ozone depleting substances (ODS). India, Brazil, China and others preferred HFCs to be addressed by the climate regime.

The US, on behalf of Canada and Mexico, also introduced a draft decision on the phase out of HFC-23 as a by-product of HCFC-22 (UNEP/OzL.Pro.22/3, XXII/[M]). The draft decision requests the ExCom to update information on HCFC-22 production facilities and further efforts to implement projects to mitigate HFC-23 emissions, and asks the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) and Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) to study the costs and benefits of HCFC-22 by-product control. [IISD RS Coverage of MOP 22] [Meeting Website] [The North America Proposal] [The FSM Proposal]